Vanguards Of The New Era
by Yusei The Stardust Dragon
Summary: A judicial rogue on the road of a fugitive, a pacifistic war criminal, a bloody-thirsty hunter in for the glory, a disgraced general, and a weak-minded slave with much potential. The five entities face their own obstacles, unsure how to prevail. Unsure of their gusto to risk it all. Rated T for violence/All copyrighted items belong to their respective owners.


Several hundred years ago, in the past, there lived a direct ancestor of some of the greatest trainers of the modern era; Red, Leaf, Ethan, Dawn, Brendan, Hilda, and Calem. Their ancestor grew up in a time of war between three war-monger nations: the Imperial Dominion of Exter, the Glorious Lorraine Empire, and the Eternal Kingdom of Alsace. The land-hungry Dominion of Exter set forth a mission of conquest to expand their reign, promptly setting a land-seeking quest to the unsuspecting Lorraine and Alsace.

Alas, the people of Lorraine had a passion for war and land, whom predicted the advances of Exter, and defended their land from the Exterian army. After a long time of fighting, the two nations turned their intentions to the peace-oriented Alsace, that wanted none of the fighting, and reluctantly went to arms in defense for their way of life.

The ancestor was born into one of the noblest families in all of the world: the Robins family. In the era of war, the Robins family of Exter solely gave birth to a boy, whom they chirstened Kenchira. Kenchira grew in a life of war and conflict from his estate in the hills of the Outer Dominion. Very few people still lived in his estate after nineteen years of destruction.

At the tender age of four, Kenchira watched a band of rogue cavalry from the Lorraine Empire mercilessly slaughter his father and brutally wound his cousin Remus from Alsace, using a trained Gallade and Zoroark. Despite how many people used Pokemon in the world at the time, and how rich the Robins' were, Kenchira's father refused to conform to the era of Pokemon, instead believing the age-old weapons that humans used were still superior. The very thought of Pokemon being trained to fight thoroughly disgusted him.

Kenchira barely remembered that horrific day when his father and Remus valiantly defended their estate. The Lorrainian cavalry bantered the two men to enter the conscription of the royal army of Lorraine, drew swords to fight the Zoroark and Gallade. Remus fell early when he slashed at the Gallade, who parried the hit, and rolled over Remus' exposed side, and sliced Remus in the small of his back, following up with a horrible gouging of Remus' left eye. Unluckily for his father, he didn't share the same fate as Remus. His father, deadlocked with the Zoroark, mistimed his intentionally fatal blow, giving the Zoroark the opening it needed to finish off his father. Kenchira watched in horror as the Zoroark shanked his father, and raked it's claws along his belly, effectively disembowling him.

The Lorrainian cavalry swiftly departed when they let Kenchira's father bleed out, and leave Remus a bloody, shaken mess. Kenchira had barely been in the world to have his father mercilessly taken from him at the hands of Pokemon, and injure his cousin. Since that day, Remus had to fill the void that his father now left empty.

Kenchira from that day on, despised both Pokemon, and the nation of Lorraine for snatching his father away.

When Kenchira turned eleven, the fighting between the three nations multiplied severalfold. The leaders of their respective nations allocated more resources to the war efforts. The miniscule skirmishes the three nations evolved into large, bloody battles, where thousands upon thousands died. Exter sought out for any able men to fight for their army, and the Robins family had to relinquish Remus, or else pay a hefty tax. Kenchira's mother wished for Remus to stay, since his scars from the incident seven years prior never fully healed; since he lost the use of an eye, and was partially paralyzed in the legs.

As time went on, the Robins family fortune dried up due to the hefty tax on Remus and meager income. With no workers in the house, and Kenchira, and the disabled Remus to look after, his mother had to look after both of them. Kenchira's mother was forced into indentured servitude for Exter, since the Robins' couldn't pay their tariffs to the Viscount, leader of Exter.

Later the same year, the Viscount called for all available soldiers to take arms in the largest battle the war had yet to see, where all three armies would clash over a valuable plot of land evenly distant between the three nations. Since Kenchira's mother sold herself to servitude for the Dominion, she had to fight.

Despite her protests to Remus and the government, she only agreed to leave when Remus promised to protect Kenchira with his life.

The battle lasted for almost two years, ending in a pointlessly bloody stalemate between Exter, Alsace, and Lorraine. On Kenchira's thirteenth birthday, the Scout Corps left a casualty list posted in several locations in the Dominion. Kenchira stared down the list looking for his mother's name. After flipping through several pages of casualties, he found his mother's name.

Her battalion had been annihilated by a horde of Charizards from Alsace. There were no survivors in the battalion. As Kenchira dropped the list, he swore aloud, screaming, "I'll kill every last one of those Pokemon if it's the last thing I do."

All Kenchira had left was Remus, who forced Kenchira to calm down, as he directed him away from the list of casualties, as more people jostled for the list. Later at home, Kenchira thought to himself all night of how to destroy those who had taken what meant the most to him in the world.

The next morning, Kenchira yawned audibly, climbing out of bed to stare longingly in the grimy mirror in his room. For thirteen, he looked extremely handsome, in his opinion. He had a streamlined face, complimented with his light brown naturally untidy hair and contrasting blue-gray eyes.

After Kenchira got dressed, he marched downstairs to find Remus sitting at the dining table. Kenchira never realized until now how similar he looked next to Remus, except for the grisly wounds and Remus' green eyes. Remus had a look of concern on his face from what Kenchira could tell. Remus patted a chair next to him motioning for Kenchira to sit down.

"I heard you talking in your sleep last night Kenny," Remus said.

Kenchira's lip twitched ever so slightly. Out of all the times he didn't want to be called "Kenny", why now?

"So what's it to you Remus?" Kenchira asked.

"I'm surprised Kenny, for such a young boy, you have experienced many things that few people can say they have seen in their lifetime." Remus replied.

"Around your age, when I grew up in Alsace, the people were not aware of the impending war in the next few years. I don't even know where my parents are, ok? I'd be better off knowing they're dead over missing. When the first major battles started in Alsace, my parents sent me here to live with my mother's sibling - your father - and his wife, along with their newborn son. Kenny, I can understand the pain you are enduring right now, knowing your parents are gone."

Kenchira looked away from Remus defiantly. "You don't understand cousin Remus. Pokemon took away my parents, not just humans!"

Remus scratched his chin in recollection. Indeed, a Zoroark killed his father, and Charizards slew his mother. Kenchira had a point since Remus never heard of Pokemon used as instruments of war before he arrived at the estate.

Remus placed a hand on Kenchira's shoulder and sighed. "Kenny, you're approaching the age of worldly thinking. I see that you're not going to be a little boy forever, and I feel your hatred towards the Pokemon and foreigners. I know what you murmured several times last night in your sleep; I know you want to join the Exterian Imperial Army. There's not much I can do to stop you. If I forbid you even, you'll just run away in the dead of night. I used to be a boy like you, but that was fifteen or so years ago."

Kenchira nodded, he had been dreaming of joining the Exterian Army. He looked away from Remus in defeat.

"Kenchira, I want you to know that you have my heart, and you should go for it if you believe it's what's right," Remus said.

Kenchira's face lit up with joy. "Really, cousin Remus? What about you? Aren't you still too injured to take care of yourself?"

Remus smiled lightly, "I think I'll manage little cuz. Can you promise me just one thing though?"

Kenchira nodded, "Anything Remus, if you'll let me join the Exterian Army!"

Remus sighed, "Just promise me Kenchira that you won't join the main Army. If you join the army, and they just so happen to accept you, they won't let you take arms since you are so young. You'll be stuck as a point man since they can afford to lose young boys like you. I know it sounds harsh, but the Exterian Army values the lives of trained soldiers and Pokemon more than the lives of fresh recruits, as long as the mission of the Dominion is accomplished by the end of the day."

"What did you have in mind as a substitution Remus?" Kenchira asked.

"Well," Remus said reminiscingly, "you have the four Corps of the Imperial Army: the Vanguard Corps, the conquest army, the Scout Corps, the intelligence gatherers, the Palisades Corps, the defending army, and the Judicial Corps, the enforcers of law. The Vanguard Corps has seen the largest surge in activity because of the war, also the Scout and Palisades Corps will follow suit as the war reaches its peak. Only a select few with exceptional skills can join the Judicial Corps, otherwise, you can pick which Corps you wanna join. I would suggest the Judicial Corps because they see almost no action. If I want one thing, I don't want you to go killing yourself by joining the other three Corps."

Kenchira's mouth hung agape at his cousin's knowledge of the Army. "Why the Judicial Corps Remus?"

"If you want to join the Army, I'll tell you when I leave you at the Academy tomorrow."

"Oh come on Remus," Kenchira groaned, "Will you tell me please?"

Remus chuckled, "It has something to do with our family. Like I said, I'll tell you tomorrow when we go to the outpost, if your heart is set on the Academy."

"I am sure as ever Remus. Nothing can change my mind!" Kenchira exclaimed as he through his arms around his cousin in a warm embrace.

"If you wait here, I have something for you now I've been holding off for you now. Go ahead and ask me any questions you have when I hand it to you."

Remus slid out from his chair and went up the stairs to his room and went back to the dining room to present Kenchira with a dusty wooden box. Remus blew off the dust from the lid and gave the box to Kenchira.

"Before your mother left for battle, she told me to keep this safe until the right time. It's the only items your mother and father left you. Treat them with the utmost care."

Kenchira shook the box curiously, yielding a metallic rattle from the inside of the box, evidently not hollow. He pondered the possibility of the contents within and removed the lid in awe to see two different items sitting at the bottom: a golden medallion on a shimmering chain with an intricately engraved large flaming bird perched behind a silver shield with the words _Lutte pour les faibles, Défendre les justes, La justice est le chemin,_ printed on it with a scale next to one wing, and a sheathed sword next to the other wing. Interestingly enough, the flaming bird had its head turned towards the scale rather than the sword symbolically.

The other item was a silver, gleaming metal object, seemingly naturally bent in an angled shape. Kenchira had no clue what the object was or did. It had a circular hole on one end and he could pull the top back on it as the object snapped forth. A loop with a tiny lever protruded from the oddly shaped object, and a button that he pressed on the side of the object released a hollow metal box with a spring in it. On the side of it, the word "Occulus" was stamped on the side.

"Remus what are these?" Kenchira asked.

"Those are your mother and father's most prized possessions they wished for you to inherit before they passed away. The medallion was your mother's and the Occulus, your father's. The insignia on the medallion is the Robins family crest. Ancient blacksmiths forged our family crest long before either of us were born. Occulus is a weapon the world forbid a long time ago. It requires projectiles called bullets to operate it, otherwise it's as useless as a club," Remus paused to sneer, "unless you can find another creative use for it."

"Well then Kenny, you can start packing your things. We'll leave for the Imperial outpost in the town tomorrow." Remus said.

Kenchira rushed back up the stairs and pulled out his leather satchel out from under his bed and started packing his clothes immediately. He rummaged through his belongings so quickly and audibly that he didn't hear Remus climbing the stairs and surprise him with a few light taps on the shoulder. He laughed haughtily.

"Don't be in such a rush Kenny, we don't leave till tomorrow. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of the day here." Remus said.

Kenchira slowed down his packing to an immediate stop and slid the satchel back under the bed, then slapped himself on the face. Of course, he could just pack later that evening. He went outside, and spent all day in the open field of the estate, marveling at the Robins medallion and Occulus. All his parents left him were a necklace and a club, not practical, but he could make do with it. Too bad he couldn't thank his parents for them.

* * *

The next morning, Kenchira woke at the break of dawn, setting to pack his things he sorely forgot to pack yesterday. Remus gathered his supplies for the day, and they off for the outpost in town. By high noon, Remus and Kenchira reached the town and Remus signed the release papers the two recruiters fronted to him.

The elder recruiter smiled broadly, showing off his gaping teeth to Kenchira. "Sonny, we leave in twenty minutes," the recruiter wheezed.

After a brief discussion with the recruiters, Remus pulled Kenchira aside. "Well this is it Kenny. I just hope you take care of yourself and don't forget that I'm thinking about you."

Kenny hugged Remus, "Will you now tell me what you said you would tell me today?"

Remus broke away from the embrace. "Right, it has to do with the medallion and Occulus. First off, Occulus is actually a forbidden weapon the three nations outlawed way before our father's fathers. Hide Occulus no matter what. Only pull it out to remind yourself that your father is protecting you. It's more symbolic than you believe. Also, if you ever find bullets for Occulus, do not - and I mean do not - use it unless you find yourself unable to defend yourself with your rightful arms. Secondly-"

"But how do I use it?" Kenchira interjected while pocketing Occulus.

"I don't know, you'll figure it out when you need it, and secondly-"

"All fresh recruits, hear ye!" The second recruiter yelled "The caravan for the Imperial Militant Academy is departing in two minutes. Bid your family and friends fair well, or else the caravan will leave without you."

Kenchira looked around at the twenty or so teenagers that materialized from seemingly thin air, with their respective families and friends in tow. Several crying mothers hugged their children farewell. Remus slipped a small leather sack into Kenchira's pocket, "There's Pecha berries in there. Save 'em for the road and make sure the other kids don't steal from you." he whispered. "I wouldn't trust any of these kids just yet."

"And secondly Remus?" Kenchira asked.

"It's about the medallion and the saying on the silver shield." Kenchira pulled out the medallion from the inside of his shirt remindingly, staring at the words; _Lutte pour les faibles, Défendre les justes, La justice est le chemin._

"What about it Remus?"

"The saying. You never bothered to research the meaning of it in our library?" Remus turned away to groan inaudibly. "_L__utte pour les faibles, Défendre les justes, La justice est le chemin_. It translates to the following statements: _L__utte pour les faibles, _Fight for the weak, _Défendre les justes, _Defend the righteous, and lastly, _La justice est le chemin. _Justice is the only way. Our family creedo little cousin. Our crest includes the creedo and our symbol of heritage. Just remember your proud family. Make me proud, join the Judicial Corps, and come back home as an Inquisitor - one of the heads of the Corps."

Remus guided Kenchira to an open wagon of the caravan and helped him up onto the wagon. Remus gave Kenchira a high five and walked away from the wagon. "Good luck Kenny!" Remus shouted. And with that Remus walked away into the distance. The boys and girls all gave their final words to their parents and either sat down in one of the wagons or leaned against the wagons.

The two recruiters hopped into a wagon each - headed by a Rapidash to each wagon - taking a quick role call. All the recruits were accounted for and the caravan left the town.

Kenchira looked at three people who sat down next to him; a dark-skinned boy with piercing emerald-green eyes twiddling his thumbs, a blonde-haired boy who looked slightly older than him with a hideous red mark on his neck, and a blonde girl who looked remarkably similar to the blonde boy minus the red mark. Kenchira kept to himself, looking away from the two boys and the girl on the wagon, watching the town off in the distance disappear.

A few hours after the caravan left, Kenchira decided to snack on the Pecha berries Remus gave him. However, the boy slightly older than him sneered deviously at his Pecha berries. Kenchira eyed him suspiciously, looking at his lightly tan skin and his gangly complexion. The boy furrowed his brows and stroked his blonde hair, feigning as if he didn't notice Kenchira eyed him then spoke, "Hang on. I'm famished. Something like me needs more food than you, you should share some of those - like what - ten berries?"

Kenchira objected, "But I haven't eaten since yesterday morning! I need to eat something! I'll save enough for you." The two of them argued for a moment, the leather sack lay forgotten on the floor of the wagon. The two of them jostled for a few minutes with light pushes, but then push came to shove, The boy roughly pushed Kenchira off the side of the wagon, straight into a bush on the side of the road and blew a raspberry at him.

_Justice is the only way_. Remus' words cut into his mind.

Kenchira roared in frustration, grabbed the boy by surprise - and the collar - and slung him off the wagon, face-down into a pile of sloppy mud the wagon happened to be conveniently passing. The boy got back to his feet aghast, wiping the foul mud off his face. "What the hell...you jerk! How dare you!"

The boy lost his patience and slugged Kenchira in the face, a serious mistake. Kenchira become enraged when struck in the face. He then responded to the boy with a fierce uppercut, dropping the boy to the ground. Kenchira then assaulted the boy with barrage of kicks and punches, both of which the boy futilely defended against.

The dark-skinned boy and the blonde girl immediately jumped off the wagon to spare the blonde boy from Kenchira's beating. The dark-skinned boy roundhouse kicked Kenchira in the back of the head, sending him spinning away from the blonde boy. The girl hoisted the boy on her shoulder and deposited him back in the wagon.

The dark-skinned boy stared down Kenchira in the dirt and scoffed. "Despicable kid." He then walked back to the wagon with the blonde boy and girl.

Kenchira got up, dusted his legs off and made his way back to the wagon. He wearily climbed in and shook his head apologetically to the blonde boy, who was being tended to by the girl. "I'm sorry for flying off the handle like that, can you forgive me?" The dark-skinned boy shook his head tsking the boy and girl. The blonde boy, despite being bruised and slightly bloody, cracked a smile. "It's my fault man. I'm just so hungry!" The boy said.

The girl sighed, "Oh for pete's sake Gekko, he beat the crap out you just because you asked him for food."

The blonde boy, Kenchira assumed was named Gekko, smiled weakly, "Oh lay off it Alice, the guy doesn't trust us yet. I give him props for sticking up for himself against me. Kid, I love someone with your sense of swagger. My name is Gekko Moriah, and this is my sister Alice."

"My name's Kenchira, but my family calls me Kenny," Kenchira said.

Kenchira left Gekko to his wounds after wolfing down all the berries in the sack, uncaring of how selfish the other recruits saw him. If he could not exist in the world without being mutually respected for what he was, he did not even want to live at all.

Alice tsked Gekko, "That's not my point little brother! My point is you can't have your ass handed to you like that when we join the Palisades Corps. Alsace and Lorraine will make mince meat out of people with a skill level like you just showed us."

The dark-skinned boy scoffed. "The Vanguard Corps is for the pitiful and weak like this loser here," he indicated Kenchira. "The Scout Corps is where the real skills are."

Kenchira laughed, "Ha! I'm gonna join the Judicial Corps. Have fun with your stupid Scout Corps. Also, if you're gonna call me loser, at least call me the loser 'Kenchira'."

The dark-skinned boy extended a hand that Kenchira took and firmly shook. "My name's Corwin. Sorry for the hard time earlier. I tend to be hard on people I have just met. Get to know me and you'll see I'm an easy to love person. I know you gotta have mad skills to join the Judicial Corps. As much as I wanna think I'm that skilled, I know I'm not."

The four of them exchanged stories for the rest of the trip to the Academy, by which they reached at nightfall. Much to Kenchira's disappointment, the Imperial sergeants divided everyone into their requested Corps. Corwin to the Scout Corps training, Alice and Gekko to the Palisades training, and Kenchira to the Judicial training.

* * *

Another two years passed uneventfully. Kenchira felt like his childhood had been snatched from him since the time had passed so quickly. At the age of fifteen, he proved to the trainers of the Judicial Corps that his skills exceeded the level of some of the more experienced Enforcers. At a requested early final evalutation - the Corps normally trained cadets until they were seventeen - The trainers were blown away by Kenchira's work with a sword as well as his maturity. The only thing that held Kenchira back was Pokemon handling. However, after a demonstration, Kenchira proved he could hold his own against fifteen trained humans and Pokemon alike just with his sword expertise alone.

After several waivers passed through the Viscount and higher officers of the Judicial Corps, the Imperial Army enlisted Kenchira as an Enforcer to the Judicial Corps.

At the graduation ceremony, Kenchira stepped up towards the older Enforcers and officers, smirking at them. He wondered what the men and women thought of having such a young cadet enter their Corps.

Regardless of what they thought, here they were, ready to accept the newest member of the Judicial Corps. Kenchira stepped foward to accept the only items the Judicial Corps had to offer: a bronze badge with one arrow pointing up, and a jet-black sword and scabbard with the word "Trinity" emblazoned in gold letters on the scabbard. Kenchira slowly withdrew the gleaming sword from the sheath, admiring it. He palmed it and slowly twirled it in his hands getting a feel for it. Judging by the shape and style of the sword, the Corps gave Kenchira a ninjato.

One Enforcer shook Kenchira's hand. "Tomorrow kid, you start your career as the most glorious of all soldiers: an Enforcer!"

* * *

A young man clad in a dark gray tunic and black boots marched towards a set of large wooden doors to a gray brick building, guarded by a Gallade and Bisharp. The man flashed a shiny bronze badge with a three arrows up and two circles around it to the guards. The Gallade and Bisharp nodded, pushing the heavy wooden door out of the way for the man to enter.

The man silently walked down a set of hallways he had memorized before arriving. Several stone and steel caged doors dotted the walls, with several people and Pokemon peering from behind the caged doors intimidatingly at him. The young man walked on, unfazed by the silent treatment of the trapped people and Pokemon, except for the thud of his heavy boots on the stone floor and his violet cloak swishing as he turned. He turned one last corner to see two fully-armored guards - humans this time - guarding a dark, purely steel door at the end of the hall.

One guard stepped foward. "State your name and purpose soldier!" The guard commanded in a feminine voice.

The man in the cloak unfastened his scabbard from his waist, handing it to the guard in response. The guard flipped the visor to her helmet to get a better look at the scabbard. She withdrew the sword from the scabbard, noticing it's features. A ninjato with the word "Trinity" printed on the scabbard.

The cloaked man cleared his throat "I am Sergeant Major Kenchira Robins. I have been sent by the Inquisition to discuss affairs with the prisoner you two are overseeing. I have handed you Trinity to verify I am indeed Kenchira Robins."

The female guard removed her helmet, letting a tangled mess of long blonde hair freely fall past her shoulders. Kenchira's eyes widened at the realization he was talking to Alice Moriah. "Well I'll be Kenny. What are you doing here?"

Kenny laughed, "Like I said, I'm here on official Judicial business. They are giving me my final assignment as a Sergeant Major. Inquistors Aramis and Mileena are so impressed with my work, they believe I should be next in line as the new Inquistor. Didn't you hear someone assassinated Inquistor Tilly? "

Alice shook her head no.

"Yeah, it happened days ago. He went on a routine inspection to the Research Facility in the capital and died in an explosion caused by artificial means. No Pokemon or human made that blast by natural means, however, a rumor has been flying around that the scientists were toying around with who knows how many compounds."

"What's this gotta do with your business here?" Alice asked

"The very cell you are guarding houses our main suspect. The Enforcers apprehended her minutes after the incident. I haven't met our suspect in question yet, however the Enforcers have dubbed her 'Twitch' due to her excessive random behavior."

"Kenchira. The suspect is a Pokemon. I wanted to forewarn you so you wouldn't lose your professional demeanor and shout at the suspect for unreasonable accusations." Alice said.

Kenchira smirked, "Gimme twenty minutes and I think I'll have her spewing out all the information the Corps sent me to acquire."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Your problem Kenny, not mine." Alice bundled her hair into bunches and stuffed it back into her armor, screwing her helmet back into proper position, flipping the visor down.

Alice gestured the other guard to move away from the door, giving Kenchira a proper amount of space to open the door. Kenchira pushed the heavy steel door open with an almighty creaking sound to a rather roomy, dank, dark, stony jail cell lit by a single torch. Alice and the other guard slammed the door behind Kenchira, leaving him alone with the prisoner. The prisoner laid on the bed curled up in a fetal position shivering, her black and blue fur standing on edge from goosebumps.

Kenchira decided to get comfortable against the wall of the cell, propping his leg against it for support. After he felt comfortable enough, he cleared hs throat. "I was wondering if I could talk to you."

He grabbed the attention of the prisoner. She seized up instantly and sat up to attention, spinning around on the bed to face Kenchira. Kenchira had encountered many different Pokemon at the Academy and in his earlier days as an Enforcer, but he'd never seen the Pokemon lying on the bed before. She had the build of a short human, with multiple canid features; a black snout, long pointed ears, and stiff, springy legs. She also had a set of heavy iron shackles on both her wrists.

The prisoner eyed Kenchira from top to bottom, taking in all his features too, her eyes finally moving to his shiny bronze badge which she snorted in disgust at the sight of. "Finally sending someone important to deal me?" The prisoner asked. "Took you Judicial pigs long enough." She folded her arms impatiently.

Kenchira brushed his cloak to a side to let the prisoner have a glance at Trinity. "Don't get smart with me criminal scum," he said with bravado. "Do not make me cut you down, Twitch!"

Twitch smirked. "First off, that's not my name. Secondly, you got more fire in your eyes than the rest of those Judicial pigs, and a better body at that. You're cuuuute." She licked her lips at the last of her sentence.

Kenchira's face momentarily lost color. Did the prisoner just call him attractive? He shook his head, keeping his professional composure. "I'm sure you know why I'm here, correct?"

Twitch laid back on the bed sighing. "You're here probably to haul me off to the gallows like the pigs you are."

"No," Kenchira assured, "I'm here to ask you some questions about the explosion a few days ago at the Research Center that killed Inquistor Tilly, also possibly some more in-depth questions to get an my opinion on your personality. Will you comply with me or do I have to call the guards to help you comply with me?"

Twitch sighed again, "Nah, I'll go along with whatever you ask, unless of course I'm going to the gallows, in which case you'll have to drag my corpse away first. I will fight if I have to."

Kenchira pulled out a small pad of paper and a pen, scrawling some random notes. "Ok then, you mind if I ask you where you're from?"

Twitch sat up against the headboard to her bed. "I was born in Lorraine," Kenchira's lip twitched at the mention of Lorraine, "although I am from the Inner Dominion of Exter. Before you ask, the Lorrainians lost my loyalty many years ago."

"Why is that?"

"I refused to attend the Conscription when the army specifically forced me into the Draft," she said.

"And why didn't you choose to enter the Conscription?" Kenchira asked.

"Why should I serve my homeland? They never did anything for me, not even protect my clan from the war. I come from a clan of proud warriors valuing personal strength over all other traits. I am one of the youngest of my generation in the clan and watched my several brothers, sisters and cousins take up arms." Twitch started sniffling. "I am one of the few left alive and I hate this pointless war."

Kenchira stared into Twitch's eyes in understanding - his family was torn by the war too. He nodded, jotting down some notes on the tiny paper. Twitch started on more small talk with Kenchira, letting him copy down more interesting notes. Apparently she lived in a large family of other Pokemon and the same Pokemon had strong bonds to their kin.

Kenchira tore the first sheet of paper off the pad. He looked at it in wonder - it contained too many personal notes about the prisoner to be relevant to his mission. Kenchira shook his head, reminding himself of his assignment.

"Anyways, are you involved with the inquiries at the Research Center?" he asked.

"Yes, I am a drifting assistant to many of the scientists at the Research Center," she said.

Kenchira thought of all the possibilities how a random explosion could kill the late Inquistor. His mind then turned to the insane contraptions and gizmos the scientists had under tests at the Research Center. They were making one that they claimed could encapsulate a Pokemon and despite how absurd the idea sounded, Kenchira had no doubts the scientists would pull through with the crazy capsules.

Kenchira nearly face-palmed himself, it seemed so obvious, he might as well ask. "Were there any new tools or weird ideas the scientists at the Center were working on the days before the explosion?"

Twitch sat up, throwing her legs over the side of the bed to sit up. She scratched her long pointy ears in recollection, anything remotely different struggling to come to mind. "Well, there was _one_ thing in the Chemistry Department, but I don't know if it would be anything of your concern."

Kenchira's leg straightened out in mild surprise, "Really?"

Twitch brushed imaginary dust off her arm to gather her thoughts. "The scientists at our laboratories were tampering with an extremely volatile compound that remains extremely untested. They claimed It contains three ingredients: charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter. Saltpeter is a very unstable ingredient on it's own, but when combined with charcoal and sulfur, a funny reaction occurs in the right conditions."

"What sort of 'funny reaction'?" Kenchira asked.

"Well, in tiny amounts it makes a little 'pop' with a decent amount of heat," Twitch said. "The scientists were toying with an adequate ratio between the charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter to turn that 'pop' into more of a 'boom' if you catch my drift. It's a powdery substance that is stable without heat, but the biggest equivalent of the mixture is charcoal, making it black. This so-called 'Black Powder' is pretty close to being weaponized if they can figure out how supply the heat to make large quantities of it go boom."

Kenchira's hand was a blur as he tried to copy down as much of the prisoner's words. He motioned for the door and stopped as he reached for the door handle. "I will look into it when I file my report to the Inquistors. Thank you for your cooperation."

"I have one more thing I need to say." Twitch said. "You don't absolutely _have_ to do this, but you may find some information about Tilly in Paradise. Word is that some people there know who killed Tilly. You don't have to trust the word of a prisoner, but I suggest scouting out the Paradise and you might find your person there."

Kenchira stood nonchalant. He would consider it on the way to Headquarters.

Twitch smiled lightly, "Glad I can help. I hope the Palisades and Judicial pigs will release me soon. They have me on trial for this affair in three weeks, I heard from the guards. Dunno why they kept me here in the first place. I just beat one of the male guards when he tried to have his way with me."

Kenchira raised an eyebrow. "Do you need me to report that to the Inquistors?"

"Nah," Twitch said, waving a paw dismissively, "I sent the other male guards my intended message when I finished beating him."

Kenchira actually had to force a laugh. This prisoner came off differently to him than the usual trash he brought in. Usually the other prisoners kicked and screamed as he dragged them to a cell or shouted numerous death threats intended to him or his family. If he went through one week without getting a death threat from a criminal, it was usually a slow week.

"You know you're an interesting fellow from your aura," Twitch said.

"How?" Kenchira asked.

"I can see just from your personality," her voice seemed to grow ominously darker, "you have no true allegiances, except for your roots to your family. You do take orders, although you are reluctant to follow them. You walk with a sense of justifiable pride, like you deserve it. You are a strong soul, although I can see your strength may be your downfall if you die early."

Kenchira looked at Twitch curiously as if he spaced out. "How can you-"

"A simple trick I picked up from my father as a pup. My aura skills are terrible, but my father taught me you can understand things about other people by their aura."

Kenchira looked at Twitch in wonder, "Well, I'll be on my way." He moved his hand to the door handle but stopped again. "One more question: Who and what are you exactly?"

Twitch chuckled, "I am not Twitch like those jerks at the Judicial Corps call me. My name is Ashe, and I'm a Lucario."

Kenchira nodded in understanding. He finally put his hand to the door handle and opened the door this time, closing it behind him. He looked at the armored guard to his left doubling up in silent laughter.

Alice stood to Kenchira's left, snickering. "So how did it go with Twitch? She give you the works"

Kenchira shook his head in disgust as Alice snickered even harder. "I dunno about about her - she's extremely weird. Also, she told me her name is Ashe."

"Hey Kenny, wanna hit the town later?" asked Alice. "Maybe tomorrow?"

"Sure Alice," Kenchira said "I need to talk to the Inquistors tomorrow for the debriefing. I never met Inquistor Aramis, but I have met Mileena a handful of times; she's this nice looking woman a little older than me - probably stretching it at thirty or so."

With that, Kenchira bid Alice and the other guard farewell and walked out of the prison. Contemplating his date with Alice tomorrow, Kenchira wondered where to take her. The capital had several beautiful parks and neighborhoods, but he'd think about his choices later.

Kenchira's mind then wandered to his assignment. Mileena and Aramis were impressed by him and they designated him as Tilly's successor. He hoped when he became an Inquistor, he would not have to deal with the nutjobs like Ashe.


End file.
